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The sheer quantity of anticipation round Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment within the sport’s epic story, was greater than palpable. Followers have been anxious to see what would change from the unique model. Amongst different occasions, that particularly utilized to the sport’s greatest and most notoriously heartbreaking plot twist about Aerith, which everybody knew was fated to happen a technique or one other. There was a lot to dissect from Rebirth’s grand retelling. Whereas it was onerous to decide on, we’ve put collectively a listing of ten issues FF7 Rebirth modified or modernized from the unique sport that helped make the story even higher.
Warning: The next incorporates spoilers for Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Learn at your personal discretion.
1. Making Zack Honest Playable
Zack Honest is a personality who was way more shrouded in thriller within the authentic FF7 sport. The participant doesn’t even get a glimpse of him till properly into the story when Cloud begins to have staggering revelations about his personal true identification. In actuality, Zack was the catalyst for the sport’s greatest plot twist (or second-biggest maybe, contemplating Aerith), so it made sense to not reveal him till the time was proper.
Regardless of this, Zack’s function within the sport was nonetheless very a lot within the again seat. He appeared in flashback cutscenes that helped give Cloud the readability he wanted to know what actually occurred at Nibelheim and the occasions that adopted. Nonetheless, gamers have been nonetheless fascinated by Zack’s energetic presence, which served as Cloud’s foil. He unexpectedly turned one of many sport’s hottest characters. The group wished to know extra about him, and even stroll in his sneakers, given the possibility.
Fortunately, not solely was that request granted with FF7: Disaster Core, however Zack gained a way more distinguished function in FF7 Rebirth. With timelines clashing and the destiny of the planet at stake (now in additional methods than one), Zack is definitely the primary character you get to play as. Albeit, that’s in a unique dimension that sees a lot of the essential occasion presumably lifeless, whereas Cloud and Aerith are unusually comatose.
This time round, regardless of his utter confusion at what’s occurring in his timeline, a tirelessly decided Zack seeks to discover a strategy to revive each Cloud and Aerith and set issues proper, irrespective of how bleak the world appears. We revisit his story all through the sport, expertise an alternate model of sure occasions (e.g. – Sephiroth visiting the Church versus the Forgotten Capital), and even help Cloud throughout the sport’s ultimate confrontation.
How Zack’s function will proceed to unfold within the third installment of the trilogy stays to be seen. It’s clear that Sq. Enix wished to present Zack much more time to shine on this distinctive retelling of FF7’s story. Frankly, we’re all right here for it.
2. Midgar Zolom (or Midgardsormr) as a Boss Struggle As a substitute
Those that performed the unique Ultimate Fantasy 7 keep in mind a sure monster that prowls the swamps close to Kalm early within the sport very properly. This fearsome serpent was generally known as the Midgar Zolom, and it was notorious for gatekeeping gamers who wanted to go by way of the swamp to get to the Mythril Mines and proceed the story. Even worse, there was not simply one in every of these beasts, however a number of of them lurking within the waters that might simply snare you into an unforgiving battle.
If you happen to wound up going head-to-head with a Midgar Zolom, your odds of survival early on have been slim to none. The one strategy to keep away from it was to take a Chocobo by way of the waters. This gave you the flexibility to outrun them versus attempting to take action on foot. Nonetheless, whilst you could avert a painful battle with them, quickly sufficient you’re nonetheless confronted with the sight of a Midgar Zolom impaled by way of an enormous tree trunk, presumably by the hands of Sephiroth. Throughout this transient cutscene, Cloud and the others revel within the notion of such energy and proceed their journey with that picture behind their minds.
In FF7 Rebirth, nevertheless, the function of this monster is dramatically modified, and truthfully in a much better method. The swamp is completely ominous and a close-by signal preemptively warns you of the Midgardsormr (renamed from the unique) that lurks within the waters. Cloud and his occasion are nonetheless obligated to cross through Chocobo, however even that isn’t sufficient. The large serpent ambushes them and the sport’s first true boss battle begins.
Midgardsormr’s redesign is as excellent as it’s terrifying. Making it a required battle was in itself an absolute win. After first reveling in the great thing about the planet’s nature, the group is then confronted with its energy on this encounter. The climax of the battle sees Cloud pulled underwater by Midgardsormr and almost drowned. That’s till Sephiroth immediately seems to seemingly rescue him, slicing the beast and launching it into the air with a strong magic assault that then sends it plummeting again down, impaled onto a tree trunk identical to within the authentic sport.
The scene brings the complete battle and its significance full circle, and that wouldn’t have been attainable as a easy random encounter.
3. Dyne’s Story and Dying Acquired Heartfelt Closure
Within the authentic FF7 sport, Barret’s tragic recollection of what occurred to his hometown of Corel was arguably probably the most riveting elements of the story. It gave full justification for why he ended up with Avalanche. Regardless of wishing for higher financial prosperity for his house and people who lived in it, believing Shinra might and would offer it with a brand new mako reactor, he was proven their true colours once they as an alternative burned down the city to cowl up Avalanche’s siege and destruction of the reactor.
The disaster noticed Barret lose his spouse Myrna within the blaze, and seemingly his finest buddy Dyne when the 2 of them have been caught by a Shinra squad and pinned down on a cliffside by a hail of bullets. Whereas Barret misplaced his arm, Dyne plummeted off the cliff, presumably to his demise. Barret ran to avoid wasting Dyne’s daughter Marlene and took her in as his personal. Those that survived the fireplace and now reside in North Corel got here to consider that Barret was the one responsible for all the things, and Barret himself felt the identical, riddled with guilt.
Because it seems, Dyne managed to outlive his fall, dropping an arm within the course of as properly, and sadly a shadow of the person he as soon as was. Like Barret, he’s eternally vengeful towards Shinra, however his sanity and sense of actuality are all however gone. After studying of the massacre he causes on the Gold Saucer, Cloud and the group go to confront him again out within the Corel Desert. Barret calls for to face him alone, and the 2 conflict in a battle very like within the authentic sport.
Nonetheless, the scene that transpires afterward deviates from the unique storyline, which had a way more devastating end result. Initially, Dyne felt little cause to go on after all the things, and regardless of Barret’s pleas, he throws himself off a close-by cliff after their battle, eerily paying homage to the previous. It cemented itself as one of many darkest moments within the sport, with many gamers probably shocked by the blunt depiction of suicide in a fantasy sport.
In FF7 Rebirth, nevertheless, Barret and Dyne are as an alternative ambushed by Shinra troops after their confrontation. This turns the deja vu issue on its head, and the 2 determine to battle them off collectively. The battle nonetheless ends with Dyne’s demise, however this time it feels extra righteous, and heartfelt, and offers one in every of Shinra’s most tragic victims an emotional sendoff. Some gamers could really feel the unique end result was justifiably extra uncooked and argue that Rebirth opted for a extra censored demise for Dyne, however we really feel that this retelling was nonetheless carried out fantastically.
4. Folios Give A lot-Wanted Flexibility With Materia
When it got here to battle within the authentic FF7 sport, materia was the important thing to buffing your character’s stats in addition to unlocking and wielding varied kinds of particular and elemental skills. Figuring out which materia wanted to be slotted the place and when was half the battle. Grinding infinite encounters to degree them to max was the important thing to dealing with endgame content material.
Nonetheless, FF7 Remake launched the notion of deviating from the materia establishment. Rebirth then fully blew it huge open with its revamp of the fight system and the introduction of Folios. These particular books are supplied to every character of the occasion and permit them to unlock a wide range of stat buffs, synergy skills, and even particular elemental assaults.
That’s proper, you may study assaults of each aspect (e.g. – Air, Thunder, Fireplace, and many others) through your Folio, eliminating absolutely the have to equip elemental materia for sure battles. Granted, the fundamental assaults from materia are nonetheless stronger. That mentioned, a dependable different is now there that may assist unlock some materia slots for different wants, notably should you’re equipping a weapon with fewer slots.
Even higher, the weapons you get all through the sport every include a listing of potential stat boosts you may equip to additional improve your character. This provides them much more flexibility with the general fight setup.
5. Character Synergy Assaults Make Battle Even Extra Dynamic
After the glowing reception to FF7 Remake’s progressive, real-time battle system that helped convey every character’s distinctive strengths into battle, it was clear that fight wanted to increase even additional because the world bought astronomically larger in FF7 Rebirth. Not solely that, it wanted one thing to showcase how Cloud and his allies have grown to battle collectively extra cohesively.
That’s the place Character Synergy assaults are available. These turned out to be a improbable new aspect of battle that might actually flip the tide in a pinch. These skills are unlocked through every character’s Folios and use Synergy Costs, that are the small bars seen beneath the ATB meter. The extra Costs are lit, the extra Synergy assaults your character has to make use of.
Character Synergy strikes permit two characters inside an lively occasion to carry out distinctive assaults and/or give one another highly effective buffs. These embrace splitting the ATB into three bars as an alternative of two, or a short interval of limitless MP. These strikes ought to by no means be missed, particularly throughout more difficult fights – of which there are in Rebirth. You get them far faster than a Restrict Break, they usually’ll typically prevent from an undesirable Sport Over.
Plus they’re simply superior to observe each time, so what’s to not like? The unique Ultimate Fantasy 7 clearly couldn’t pull this off with the PS1’s {hardware} again within the day. The PS5 is certainly greater than able to offering the last word fight expertise that FF7 followers of all generations can admire.
6. Many Areas Like Gongaga Are Far Extra Interactive
The center act of Ultimate Fantasy 7 brings Cloud and the group by way of a wide range of locales throughout Gaia. Given the PS1’s restricted capacity to visually render full environments, a few of these locales within the authentic model felt nearly fleeting, or underwhelming when it comes to content material. Whereas it couldn’t be helped from a technological standpoint, areas like Zack’s hometown in Gongaga clearly had extra potential.
Fortunately that was well-remedied in FF7 Rebirth. Every location the occasion visits will not be solely far bigger in scale however way more interactive to the purpose that they grow to be characters in themselves. Gongaga is a shining instance of that. The occasion can traverse the extremely lush jungle area and finally make it to the city the place Zack and his household grew up.
Given its significance not solely to Zack’s character however these closest to him (e.g. – Cloud and Aerith), it’s solely justified that gamers get the chance to discover, grow to be acquainted with the locals, and add extra visible context to the story. Even Cissnei, a former Turk and one in every of Zack’s closest allies from Disaster Core Reunion makes an look, having chosen to maneuver to Gongaga and type the Youth Coalition to bolster aid efforts after the native reactor explosion.
It’s not simply battle however narrative parts like this that assist give varied areas of the sport much more life and extra contribution to the general story.
7. Aerith’s Private Journey Brings Her Story Full-Circle
This could result in a fantastic debate, however out of the complete occasion in FF7 Rebirth, it’s onerous to argue in any other case that Aerith carries the best of burdens. Her life has been laid low with trauma and tragedy quite a few instances, having misplaced each her father (who hasn’t been revealed but) and her mom, Ifalna. In a while, she tragically loses her old flame, Zack Honest, as properly. As many know, ultimately, she additionally makes probably the most selfless of sacrifices.
As a baby, she and her mom have been held captive in Shinra’s labs by Professor Hojo as prized specimens, because of their genetic ties to the Cetra. Regardless of managing to finally escape by prepare to the Slums, because of her failing well being, Ifalna collapses on the platform. The entire sequence is grueling to play out as a terrified younger Aerith, who desperately seeks assist for her mom from the locals, who in flip pay her no thoughts. The one one who does assistance is Elmyra, who takes Aerith into her care after Ifalna passes.
Regardless of her trauma and loneliness, Aerith nonetheless grows up with unflinching compassion and empathy for humanity and particularly the planet. Coming into FF7 Rebirth, Aerith’s private journey actually begins to take form. Whereas she has enjoyable and embraces the thrill of their adventures, it’s onerous to not discover that she is aware of greater than she lets on. On the identical time, she struggles to know what precisely she ought to do because the final residing Cetra. At one level she even begs for the assistance and knowledge of the elders at Cosmo Canyon.
She is aware of that her connection to her Cetran ancestors is essential to saving the planet, and appears to know the way sure issues will play out, for higher or worse. She accepts that her time is restricted and tries to take advantage of it, collaborating within the Loveless efficiency on the Gold Saucer and even embarking on a last-chance date with Cloud in an alternate timeline.
Between attempting to expertise the fun of a traditional life with these she cares for many, and on the identical time wanting to guard and maintain them secure from the conflicts and tragedies to come back, we come to know that Aerith has a lot to face on her personal. It solely provides extra depth to her character, considerably greater than we bought within the authentic FF7 sport.
8. Making Yuffie and Cait Sith Likeable
Those that performed the unique FF7 will recall that out of the complete occasion, there have been two characters that have been, in all honesty, not as well-liked as their comrades. We’re speaking in fact about Cait Sith and Yuffie Kisaragi, the 2 most eccentric members whose personalities and off-kilter fight skills rubbed many gamers the mistaken method.
Cait Sith’s character is thought for being equal elements mysterious and obnoxious. She joins the occasion after the preliminary occasions on the Gold Saucer however doesn’t present a lot profit past cryptic fortunes and comedian aid. With weaker stats, token cowardice, and an unreliable capacity set, this meant that, at the least within the authentic sport, they have been sometimes the final selection for occasion roles.
It additionally didn’t assist that Cait Sith turned out to be an animatronic spy managed by Shinra’s Reeve Tuesti. She betrayed the group at one level by stealing the Keystone to the Temple of the Ancients and giving it to Tseng of the Turks. Nonetheless, she does regain that belief in spades in a while and even provides up herself as the mandatory life sacrifice for the Black Materia.
Her journey with the group is chronicled much better in FF7 Rebirth, and her preventing prowess is best than it was within the authentic, even when nonetheless not on par with Cloud or Tifa. Yuffie’s introduction and subsequent journey, which started within the FF7: Intergrade DLC, was additionally given nice care this time round. Her skillset is way extra sturdy, easy, and really offers good harm when wanted.
She does nonetheless carry sure traits of her personal obnoxious character, notably in terms of not studying the room and hyper-obsessing over materia (even the Black Materia). Nonetheless, on the root of all of it, Yuffie cares greater than something about seeing her war-torn house nation of Wutai liberated from Shinra, and seeks materia to assist obtain that. She types shut bonds with a lot of the group, particularly Barret and Aerith, and does her finest to confront her fears to assist save not simply Wutai, however the planet as an entire.
9. Sudden Bizarro Sephiroth Easter Egg
Whereas it was inevitable that one other dramatic confrontation with Sephiroth was destined to occur in FF7 Rebirth after the occasions on the Forgotten Capital, it’s secure to say that many people underestimated the lengths he would go to this time round. After years of hibernation within the Northern Crater and the ability granted to him by Jenova and the Black Materia, Sephiroth has grown infinitely stronger.
The sport’s sequence of a number of ultimate boss fights pushes gamers and their occasion setup to the restrict. All of it culminates within the look of none aside from ‘Bizarro Sephiroth’, or as he’s referred to in FF7 Rebirth, ‘Sephiroth Reborn’. Those that performed the unique sport have been probably caught off-guard by this, as Bizarro Sephiroth is definitely Sephiroth’s second-to-last type he takes on the very finish of the story, when Cloud and the group confront him on the Northern Crater to cease Meteor.
Seeing this type of Sephiroth earlier within the storyline is a curious selection. To date, a lot of the main boss encounters have precisely adopted the unique narrative. It was definitely a surreal expertise, accompanied by distinctive renditions of ‘One-Winged Angel’. It begs the query of what the FF7 growth workforce has in retailer for the sport’s finale when it comes to ultimate boss content material, and the way the interjection of various timelines will have an effect on that.
10. Cid’s Character Intro Leaves the Swearing and Cigarettes Behind
For many who keep in mind the unique FF7 sport properly, Cid Highwind was arms down probably the most hilariously abrasive character possible. When he wasn’t chain-smoking, bleeped swears made up at the least half of his in-game dialogue, and the primary time Cloud and the occasion encounter him is at his house base generally known as Rocket City.
The encounter itself is nearly uncomfortable, as we watch him berate and callously insult his poor assistant Shera at each flip. There’s a backstory to his brief mood and therapy of her, which isn’t but revealed within the remake trilogy because the occasion has but to go to Rocket City by the tip of FF7 Rebirth.
On that word, what’s attention-grabbing is that Cid’s character (thus far) is dramatically completely different from his authentic predecessor. First, the gang is formally launched to him whereas hailing a trip on the run-down Gongaga airport, fairly than at Rocket City. His character is notably far more uplifting (aha), leaving a lot of the swearing and mood behind. He even expresses nice sympathy for Aerith particularly after studying of her mom’s demise.
He accompanies the occasion on and off by way of the remainder of Rebirth’s story, appearing as a method of ethical and transportation assist. Together with Vincent, his character received’t be playable till the ultimate a part of the trilogy (until they get the Intergrade therapy like Yuffie).
Whereas the dramatic change in his demeanor was a particular shock, we’d prefer to say that thus far it’s a welcome one. Whether or not his character will make an about-face as soon as they attain Rocket City stays to be seen. If something, we’d guess it’ll be a extra toned-down model of the unique occasions that happen there, as his therapy of Shera within the ’97 model of FF7 probably wouldn’t sit properly with gamers at the moment.
Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth was launched on February 29, 2024, and is now obtainable in all places to play on the PlayStation 5 console. Make sure you try all of our different guides, equivalent to how one can change garments and the place to search out all occasion members.
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